Washing-machine



(No Model.)

W. B. SMITH.

WASHING MAOHINE.

PRTERS Pholo-Lflhugmphor. Washingon n c ATTORNEY S.

- Uivrran Snares A'rniv'r @rrrcte.

WILLIAM BRUEN SMITH, OF CLAYTON, ILLINOIS.

WASHING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 269,335, dated December 19, 1882. Application filed October 4, 1882. (No model.)

all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM BRUEN SMITH, of Clayton, in the county of Adams and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Washing-Machines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description ot'the same.

My invention is an improvement in the class of washing-machines having a slotted or pert'orated revolving cylinder for containing the clothes, which rotates in a tub or box containing a suitable quantity of water.

The chief feature of my improvement is a clothes rubber and prosser suspended so as to swing freely within the cylinder, whose revolving movement causes the clothes to rotate in contact with both the rubber and periphery of the cylinder. In some cases the rubber may be held stationary by suitable devices.

The details of construction are as herein described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a. perspective view of the machine, showing the covers of the cylinder and tub raised. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of lower half of cylinder. Figs. 3 and 4. are respectively a sectional view and perspective view, showing devices for holding the rubber stationary.

The letter A indicates the box or tub, having a hinged cover, which may be closed water-tight. Its lower half may be lined with zinc or galvanized iron. Within this case A is placed the cylinder B, whose circular periphery is composed of slats arranged parallel and beveled on the inner side. The cylinder is provided, like the box A, with a hinged cover, and is supported by gudgeons or journals a at, having their bearings in the sides of the tub or box A. A spur-gear, b, is mounted fast on the gudgeon a, and apinion, c, rotated by a crank, d, meshes therewith, so that upon rotating said crank the cylinder B will be revolved, but at a slower speed. The samejournals a a support the rubber and presser O, which may either hang free thereon or be held stationary. \Vhen mounted on the journalsa c, so as to swing free in the cylinder B, said journals must both be cylindrical, anda weight, 0, Fig. 2, is also attached to its lower end for the purpose of enabling it to press upon the clothes with the required force; but the weight 6 may obviously be dispensed with when the presser O is held stationary by any means. For this purpose I construct the inner end of 5 gudgeon a in polygonal or square form, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, and provide a socketplate, f, which is screwed to the side of the presser G. The outer end of the gudgeon a is rigidly attached to or formed solid'with a plate, g, which is in practice screwed to the box A, as shown in Fig. 3. The squared inner end of the gudgeon being entered in socket-platef, it is obvious the presser 0 cannot revolve, but that the cylinder B is free to do so, since the gudgeon a has a cylindrical shape whereit passes through the side of the latter.

The operation of the machine is as follows: The tub A having been filled with hot water up to the dotted line shown in Fig. 1, the clothes to be washed are placed in the cylinder B, and the cylinder and tub then closed tightly. Then upon rotating the crank d the cylinderB is revolved, tending to carry the clothes upward, which causes them to rotate in contact with the rubber O, that presses against them with a force proportionate to the weight 8 and the thickness of the bundle of clothes. Thus the latter are continually rotated and rubbed, and alsorinsed at the same time, since the water is kept in agitation and carried up and thrown upon the clothes by the passage of the cylinder through it. The result is that the clothes are soon washed as clean as practicable by means of a machine. The tub and cylinder being then opened, such portions of the clothes as may require it are subjected to hand-rubbing on the upper half of the rubber O. The lower portion of the latter is provided with large beveled slats; but the portion that extends above the pivots a a is covered with corrugated zinc, to adapt it for use as a hand Washboard. Such upper portion also serves to prevent the clothes. falling over and behind the presser while the cylinder is revolving.

hat I claim isl. The combination,with thetub orsnds-box A and slatted cylinder B, of the presser. and rubber O, which is held in vertical or nearly vertical position within said cylinder as the too latter revolves aroundit in the direction speciplate f, the stationary presser O, revolving fied, whereby the clothes are constantly rocylinder 13, and tub A, all as shown and detated with the cylinder and in contact with scribed.

the rubber without passing beneath it. WILLIAM BRUEN SMITH. 2. The combination of the gears, crank, and Witnesses:

gudgeons a a, one of which, a, is fixed and M. H. YVATSON,

has its inner end made polygonal, the socket- \V. H. MCDOWELL. 

